Gun barrels are subject to collection of dirt and rust that cling tenaciously to the interior surface of the gun barrel and interfere with the intended function of the gun.
Such devices have been disclosed in the literature.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,233,128 to Lai discloses a “cleaning” bullet having a chamber containing a cleaning fluid within a case whose outer surface is lined with bristles. Upon firing the bullet, a piston slidably positioned in the chamber forces the fluid through discharge ports in the head of the bullet. thereby distributing the fluid on the interior wall of the gun barrel. As the projectile accelerates down the barrel, the brushes scour the interior surface of the barrel.
A problem with this device is that clearance between the outside surface of the projectile must be provided in order to load the projectile into the barrel and still maintain stiff contact between the projectile and the surface of the barrel
The bristles must be sufficiently stiff to overcome the adhesion of the particle to the surface yet not score the surface,
The problem is compounded by the requirement that the bristles maintain a constant force against the wall with a force that does not result in scratching the surface of the tube wall.